The invention relates generally to a finger placement sensor for stringed instruments and, particularly, to a method and apparatus for use in training a student of the proper finger placement on the strings of a stringed instrument and for use in training the student how the instrument should sound when tuned and when proper finger placement is practiced.
Those familiar with musical instruments recognize the substantial time and effort that a student must commit in learning to play a stringed instrument. The student typically practices for many hours in addition to receiving instruction through music classes and private lessons. Although many believe regular private lessons are essential, they are often too expensive for a significant number of music students. Moreover, in many areas there are too few qualified music teachers to meet the demand even if the student can afford the lessons.
Since the physiological principle of muscle memory is such a critical issue in the development of stringed instrument playing, it is particularly important for the student to use proper finger placement when practicing alone. Otherwise, the student will likely develop a poor finger placement technique, which will slow his or her progress. Unfortunately, skilled instructors are often needed to provide students with the feedback necessary to teach proper finger placement technique. Since such instructors are often unavailable, a relatively inexpensive instructional tool is needed to teach proper finger placement on the strings of a stringed instrument. Such an instructional tool is needed for effectively teaching a student to play the stringed instrument when regular private lessons are too expensive, too inconvenient or otherwise unavailable.
Likewise, it is important for the student to practice with a properly tuned instrument. An improperly tuned instrument makes it difficult for the student to recognize the various notes by sound when using the proper finger placement. For these reasons, practice alone is generally insufficient for learning to play a stringed instrument with proper technique. Unfortunately, manually tuning a stringed instrument can be tedious and time-consuming and many students will either forego tuning the instrument or reduce their practice time, particularly when the student only has a limited amount of time available for practicing. Due to the youth and/or inexperience of the student or the student's parents or guardians, manually tuning the instrument may be further complicated by the student breaking one or more of the strings during tuning and by the student having difficulty in recognizing the correct pitch. Accordingly, an instructional tool is needed to teach the student how the stringed instrument should sound when properly tuned and when proper finger placement is used. Moreover, there is a need for a relatively inexpensive instructional tool that eliminates the need for the student to tune the stringed instrument prior to practicing.
In addition, a diagnostic tool is desired for identifying various qualities of a student's playing technique and diagnosing problems with it. For example, many songs require the student to use special playing techniques such as vibrato or pizzacato to achieve a desired effect. When playing a vibrato, for example, the student creates a vibrating sound by shaking his or her hand or wrist. This causes the finger contacting the string to roll and, thus, alternately raise and lower the pitch. The range of pitches and the speed of the vibrato are important characteristics for achieving the desired effect. Conventional instructional devices, however, are unable to diagnose and demonstrate a student's playing technique. Therefore, a diagnostic tool is desired for instructing a student regarding the speed of a vibrato, its range of pitches and the like.
Some people, especially children, may resist learning how to play a stringed instrument because the process seems more like work than entertainment. Thus, there is a further need for an instructional tool that provides instruction in the form of a game or other such activity that appeals to the student while still assisting the student in learning to play the stringed instrument and learning to play it correctly.